EDITORS NOTE: This is the last in a series of fall color updates, highlighting some of the best places and ways to enjoy autumn in Ohio.
COLUMBUS, OH - Autumn’s glorious yellows, reds and golds are quickly fading from Ohio’s forested landscapes, but there’s still plenty of color to be enjoyed in some areas, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
"Now’s the time of year to get ‘up-close and personal’ with Ohio’s woodlands,” said Bill Schultz, fall color spokesman with the ODNR Division of Forestry. “Riding or walking a trail or bikeway is the best way to enjoy fall’s remaining color.”
Mild temperatures in the 60s and 70s are again forecast for most of Ohio this weekend, making it a pleasant time to get outside and enjoy the season’s waning days.
Good color is expected to hold on through the weekend at Zaleski State Forest and Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County where locals are preparing to celebrate Rural Ohio Appalachia Revisited (ROAR) Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 30. Local artisans will be in the Hope Dining Lodge to demonstrate woodcarving, basket making, slate painting, quilting and other regional crafts. The Hope Schoolhouse will host storytelling, basket making and other activities. The park’s nature center will be open for Halloween fun, with haunted hayrides beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Additional seasonal events are scheduled for Mary Jane Thurston State Park in Wood County on Friday and Van Buren State Park in Hancock County on Saturday. Findley State Park in Lorain County will host its annual venison chili cook off on Saturday and Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County will again host hayrides and a barn dance on Saturday.
Updates on the best fall color viewing locations across the state are available by calling 1-800-BUCKEYE. Users can also find fall color information on the Internet at ohiodnr.com . Ohio's 74 state parks, 20 state forests and 128 state nature preserves provide excellent locations to sample fall color. Here are the most current reports from selected locations: